I know it's been a long wait for this story and I left it on a terrible cliffhanger but it's back now.
Ch. 9 Know that I Love Him
(ADAM)
I sit at my desk watching out the window for my brother to return. The longer he's gone the more the pit in my stomach grows. When I see a police car pull up in front of the house my first thought is that he did something stupid and got picked up by the cops. I leave my room running downstairs to open the door and yell at Drew. When I open the door I see two officers about to ring the doorbell but I don't see Drew anywhere.
"We're looking for the parents of Andrew Torres," one officer speaks up.
"I'm his brother has he been arrested?"
"We really should speak with your parents," he says.
"MOM DAD," I yell up the stairs.
"Adam what's wrong?" Dad asks running down the stairs with mom. "Officers," Dad nods to them while Mom gets a look on her face of fear and anger.
"Your son Andrew was in an accident, h…"
"What do you mean and accident?" Mom gasps.
"A hit and run, he was struck by a car a few blocks from here. He's been taken to Toronto Western," the other officer says.
Mom grabs her coat, I put on my shoes and we leave the house. The officers tell us they'll need to talk to us at the hospital and follow us there. We park and run inside to the check-in desk.
"Andrew Torres he was in a hit and run," Mom says.
"Are you family?"
"Yes his parents," Mom replies and the nurse begins typing on the computer.
"He's in surgery now, have a seat and someone will come speak to you shortly."
We sit down reluctantly, all I want is to be with Drew and make sure he's okay, at least to see him. I was in this place a few months ago with Becky. Waiting for news and then we were told that she died. Now I'm terrified the same thing is about to happen with my brother. As terrified as I am it occurs to me that I need to call Clare.
"I'm going to call Clare," I inform my parents.
"Why?" Mom asks.
"She's his girlfriend Mom, she needs to know he's in the hospital," I reply walking out to find a quiet place so I can call Clare.
"Hi Adam," Clare answers with a cheery voice but I know that cheer is about to be broken.
"Drew was hit by a car he's in the hospital," I tell her.
"What?!" She gasps but barely gets the word out as her voice is choked with fear and anxiety.
"He's at Toronto Western but we haven't heard anything yet."
"I'm on my way," she tells me and hangs up.
I walk back to the waiting room and come in just after the officers that came to tell us Drew was in accident.
"What happened? Do you know who hit our son?" Mom asks.
"Witnesses at the scene heard the screeching tires and saw a red car speeding away. They saw your son and called 911. That's all we know, it looks like he was crossing the street but the accident reconstructions are still at the scene. Do you know what Andrew was doing?"
"He went out to get some air, he needed to think," I reply.
"Okay if we hear anything we'll let you know. Here's our card we'll be in touch."
The officers leave and we sit in silence again until Clare comes rushing in. I go over to her before my mom can say anything.
"We still don't know anything," I tell her brining her to sit next to me.
"Why was he out?" Clare asks.
"He had to get some air," I tell her and she slumps back in her chair.
"He was thinking about us wasn't he? Because of what my mom said to him."
"Our mom said some things to when we got home. He was pacing his room before he left."
Clare bites her lip and looks away, I see a tear crawling down her cheek. She wipes it away just as a doctor comes in.
"Andrew Torres?"
"We're his parents," Dad speaks up.
"I'm Dr. Rutledge, I'm sorry someone hasn't been in sooner but I have an update for you."
"Will he be okay?" Mom asks.
"Right now Mrs. Torres it's still touch and go, he has a broken leg, cracked ribs, a broken wrist, internal bleeding, fractured some vertebrae in his neck and he has a concussion. We know he's had concussions in the past so if we can get the bleeding stopped the biggest thing will be monitoring his head injury. He's still in surgery and it will probably be several more hours. I'll be back to give you another update as soon as we have one."
The doctor leaves and Clare starts crying, I'm too worried to cry. All I can think is that Drew might die the way Becky did. We sit there for a long time, it feels like the minutes tick by slowly and every time someone moves I fear they're about to tell us that Drew is dead. Clare cries for over an hour and then just sits there with a blank look on her face. My mom alternates between sobbing and a blank look, but Dad just looks terrified although he's trying to hide it. For me the memory of the doctor coming in to tell us that Becky was dead just plays over and over in my mind. When Dr. Rutledge comes back in I hold my breath sure that he's about to say Dew is dead.
"Andrew is stable; we've stopped the internal bleeding. They'll take him to ICU soon and you can go in and see him. He's stable but he's not out of the woods, he's still unconscious and now we have to monitor him and wait for him to wake up. With his past history of concussions, he may not wake up, all we can do is wait. The good news is that he has no swelling in his brain, but he does have some bruising from the force. As I said all we can do now is monitor him and wait. If you'll come with me, I'll take you to Andrew's room."
Clare walks behind us as we follow the doctor down the hall to Drew's room. He's connected to monitors and an IV, he's got a neck brace on and his head his bandaged but he's also got one of those medical halos. He's on oxygen and what little of his face you can see is bruised. Mom gasps and starts crying, I look back at Clare and she's shaking, she won't even come in the room. I take her arm and pull her into the room. We grip to each other tightly and walk to Drew's bedside. Mom grips his hand and breaks down in sobs, Dad holds her and looks at Drew. I stand at the foot of his bed, looking at my big brother afraid that he'll never wake up.
"You have to be okay Drew you just have to," I whisper.
Clare grips the foot of the bed, looks at Drew and then she goes pale, her eyes roll back into her head. She starts to drop to the floor and I grab her quickly.
"What happened?" She asks as her eyes begin to open.
"You passed out," I inform her helping to upright her again.
"Clare Honey I think it's best if you go home," Dad tells her.
"No I want to be here with Drew," Clare shakes her head.
"There's nothing you can do here, if anything changes we'll call you," Dad tells her.
"No if something changes I want to be here with Drew," Clare asserts.
"Omar's right Sweetie there's nothing you can do here and if something changes we'll call you. It's not good for you to be here," Mom insists.
"The stress is not good for you or the baby. You need to rest. Adam make sure she gets home," Dad tells me.
"Come on Clare, you should get home. I'll call you if he even blinks," I say escorting her out of the room.
"I'll call Eli, have him take you home I don't think you should drive. I'll bring your car over later."
"I took a cab," she informs me while I get out my phone.
"Eli's not answering," I tell her ending the call when it goes to Eli's voicemail. "I'm going to call Owen, it's a little late to call your parents I think," I comment clicking on Owen's name.
"Mmm what?" Owen groans.
"It's Adam sorry to wake you. Drew was hit by a car a…"
"WHAT?!" Owen exclaims and I'm pretty sure he's awake now.
"It was a hit and run and we're all at the hospital but Clare needs a lift home. There's nothing she can do here and she needs to get some rest. She passed out when she saw him."
"What hospital I'll come get her."
I tell him where we are and he says he'll be here in a few minutes. I tell Clare Owen's on his way and make her sit down while we wait.
"Promise you'll call me for everything?"
"Everything, and you can come back in the morning after you've had some rest," I tell her just as Owen pulls up.
Clare hugs me and gets in the car with Owen and I go back into my brother's room. I sit next to his bed and watch him, praying that he wakes up soon and he'll be okay. If he's not I don't know what Clare will do and I don't think I'll be able to cope if I lose Drew after losing Becky.
(CLARE)
"I don't want to go home," I tell Owen as he starts driving away from the hospital. "Please I don't want to see my mom and I won't be able to sleep. I want to stay at the hospital but Audra doesn't want me there."
"You want to crash at my place?" Owen asks and I nod. "So how's Drew? What happened?"
"He was walking, he was thinking about us I guess and he got hit. He fractured some vertebrae in his neck and a concussion. He had internal bleeding but they were able to stop it. He broke ribs, his wrist and leg. Right now we're just hoping he even wakes up," I sigh and Drew puts a hand on my shoulder.
"You need anything?" Owen asks and I shake my head. He drives us to his place and I follow him in sitting on the sofa. "I'm sure Drew will be fine," Owen assures me.
"He wouldn't even be on the streets walking around if not for me."
"Clare that's ridiculous you didn't hit him with your car."
"He wouldn't have left the house to get some air if he wasn't thinking about us. My mom said some things, his mom said some things and he was thinking about us. I put him in a position where he had to choose, I'm pregnant with a baby that isn't his and was too selfish to give him up. As soon as I found out the baby was Eli's I should have let Drew go."
"I don't think that would have helped anything Clare. If Drew was ready to give you up then he would have when he found out. But you both found out the baby was Eli's and Drew still wanted to be with you. You didn't create the situation it just happened, your mom and his mom don't understand the situation and they think they're doing what's best for their kids. Drew will wake up and unless he gets amnesia and doesn't remember who he is at all he's going to want you with him. Drew loves you Clare, if he didn't he would have dropped you already but he needs you as much as you need him," Owen assures me and I release a breath. "You need to get some rest take my bed I'll sleep on the sofa."
"No you sleep in your bed I'm not sure I can even get to sleep," I shake my head.
"Okay come get me if you need anything," Owen insists.
"Is it okay if I watch TV? I just need to focus on something or I won't be able to sleep."
"Yeah no problem," Owen replies grabbing a pillow from his room and giving it to me. "Drew's going to be fine Clare," Owen says before going into his room.
I turn on the TV and turn off the light, after about a moment I burst into tears. I curl up and cry myself to sleep. I wake up a few hours later when the sun hits my face. I sit up and look at the time, it's just past seven and I want to go back to the hospital. I use Owen's washroom and when I come out he's in the living room.
"Come on I'll take you to the hospital, I want to see Drew too," Owen says.
"Thanks," I smile.
Owen gets ready quickly and we leave for the hospital. Owen parks and follows me inside. I open the door to his room slowly and when we step in his family wakes up and looks at us.
"Shit," Owen exhales when he sees Drew.
"Owen it was nice of you to come by," Audra comments.
"Clare wanted to come back and I wanted to see Drew for myself. I have to get to school, I'll stop by later. Clare, Adam call me if anything changes or if you guys need anything," Owen asserts.
"We will," Adam replies and I nod.
"Get better Buddy," Owen says to Drew touching his arm and then Owen leaves to go to school.
"I think we should go get some coffee and breakfast. We've been here all night we need some food and we need to make a few phone calls," Omar insists pulling Audra up from her chair.
Adam hugs me before leaving with his parents. I sit down next to Drew's bed and take his hand.
"You have to be okay Drew. You have to live and you have to be okay. I love you and your family needs you Drew. Whatever happens with us you have to be okay," I assert through my tears. I sit with Drew holding his hand until his family returns.
"Clare have you eaten at all?" Omar asks and I shake my head. "You should go get something to eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"You might not be hungry but you need to eat for your baby's sake," Adam asserts.
"Come on Clare I'll buy you breakfast," Omar says helping me up. I reluctantly leave Drew's room and go with Omar down to the cafeteria. Omar gets me some juice, fruit and a croissant and himself some coffee and he sits down with me.
"I'm sorry, I'd give anything for Drew not to be in that hospital bed. I love Drew you have to know that, I love him with all my heart. I never meant for any of this to happen," I tell Omar putting my hand belly, "I never wanted to put him in this situation. If I'd had any idea that I was pregnant I never would have gotten together with Drew."
Omar reaches across the table and squeezes my hand, "I know Clare. And I know that Drew loves you and whatever he decides it will be what he wants. That's how Drew is. Audra knows it too she just doesn't like losing control. You've been great for both our sons and we know you'd never do anything to hurt them."
I smile at Omar and eat a little and then we return to Drew's room. I sit on the end of his bed and look at him, watching and waiting for him to do anything. After about an hour the doctor comes in and checks Drew's vitals before leaving.
"Clare I think you go home, even if you don't go to school you need to rest. Sitting here all day watching Drew is not good for you or the baby. We'll call you and keep you updated, you can come back and sit with him later but it's not going to do you any good to sit here for hours," Omar says in a kind voice.
"Dad's right Clare, you know I'll call you the second anything happens," Adam assures me.
"I'll call Eli and have him take me home," I give in reluctantly. I don't want to leave but I don't exactly want to be here with Audra either.
I walk past Adam and place a gentle kiss on Drew's cheek. Then I hug Adam and walk out to the front of the hospital and get out my phone calling Eli.
"Clare? Is the baby okay?"
"The baby is fine but Drew is fighting for his life in the hospital. Can you come take me home? I'm not going to school today."
"Of course Clare. I'll come get you and take you home and stay with you all day."
The update next Tuesday will pick up from right here still in Clare's pov and Clare's time with Eli.
